Sealing structures may be utilized to form a fluid seal between a first body and a second body. Some sealing structures utilize a resilient sealing body, such as an O-ring, to form the fluid seal between the first body and the second body. In such sealing structures, a gland, land, channel, and/or groove may be formed within the first body and/or within the second body, and the resilient sealing body may be positioned within the gland, thereby retaining the resilient sealing body at, or within, an interface region between the first body and the second body.
In certain applications, such as valve assemblies, the sealing structure may be repeatedly transitioned between a closed position, in which the fluid seal is present, a neutral (i.e. zero-force) position, and/or an open position, in which the fluid seal is not present, and it may be desirable to retain the resilient sealing body within the gland regardless of the configuration of the sealing structure. It is known to utilize an adhesive and/or bonding agent to retain the resilient sealing body within the gland; however, adhesives may be unsuitable for some applications, may fail when the sealing structure is repeatedly transitioned between the closed position and the open position, and/or may fail when the sealing structure is subjected to extreme temperatures, to extreme temperature variation, and/or to certain fluids, such as solvents. Thus, there exists a need for improved sealing structures and/or for valve assemblies including the improved sealing structures.